


The Traitor's Throne

by Star_Prophet



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Action, Action/Adventure, Dreams and Nightmares, Exploration, F/M, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Language Barrier, Legendary Pokemon, Mild Language, Original Pokemon Region, Pokemon, Pokemon Trainers, Ranger School (Pokemon), Shinou-chihou | Sinnoh Region (Pokemon), Talking Pokemon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-30
Updated: 2020-05-01
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:07:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 14,164
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23935066
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Star_Prophet/pseuds/Star_Prophet
Summary: Will, a budding pokemon ranger, grows tired of his humble life. After traveling to an all new region, he finally feels like all is right - until he learns of a great secret buried in the region's ground. Who will claim Arceus' throne and become the master of the world. Humans, or pokemon?
Relationships: Guzma (Pokemon)/Reader, OC / Gardevoir - Relationship
Kudos: 2





	1. Blazing into Action

It was 3:00 P.M. when Will got the alert.

Will stared at his phone in disbelief, only brought back to the world by the nudge of a concerned lairon. Will stared for a second, trying to find the words to tell his companion.

“Bad news Mars, Eterna’s on fire. We have to leave, now.”

Mars, the lairon, looked concerned at Will. After a moment, Will got a firm nod from Mars, signifying his resolve to help. At the sight of this, Will smiled confidently. He raised Mars’ pokeball and returned the lairon to it.

“Sit tight buddy, it’ll only be a few minutes,” Will muttered to the ball. He clipped the pokeball to his belt and took one last look at the park he and Mars were just walking in. It was weird for Will to think something so chaotic could be happening while everything was so calm here. Will looked around for his bike, and spotted it nearby. He jogged to it, got on, and started rushing for Eterna Forest.

He wasn’t far from the forest, so it was only a matter of minutes until he saw plumes of smoke rising from the horizon. Luckily, the wind was blowing north, allowing no difficulty to come from approaching the scene, at least from this distance. Will continued on, wind pushed his short, dark brown hair off his face. His mind was racing.4 Worries about what was going on were flooding through his head. If there was a fire, he and the other rangers would most likely be trying to rescue any pokemon in direct danger, while other teams would put the fires out. Though there was a high chance there would be startled, and very aggressive, pokemon lurking around. That would also be an important job to handle, Will decided.

As a pokemon ranger, Will was never all too fond of battling. While he had no qualms with it, the trainer’s life just wasn’t for him. He was always obsessed with nature, and, like many others, had a soft spot for pokemon. His best idea to combine the two, without needing to battle for a living, would be to apply as a ranger. The pay was okay at best, though that wasn’t too important for Will. The ability to spend a whole day outside, helping pokemon, and learning about yourself was impossible to pass up. Will decided swiftly to become a ranger, and his childhood friend Mars was more than willing to help.

Next thing Will knew, he was staring down at the forest’s entrance, breaking him out of his thoughts. The fire was getting pretty bad. He grabbed Mars’ pokeball and let him out. The short, quadruped, metal beast looked around, ready to face anything that came his way.

“Mars! We’re here. It looks bad, we need to evacuate as many pokemon as we can.”

The lairon growled in agreement.

“Great to hear, let's get going then boy.” Will encouraged while beginning to jog into the forest. The lairon followed, and despite his weight, kept up decently. While they ran, the scene grew more intense. Trees could be heard falling, almost seconds apart. The sounds of pokemon running could be heard every which way. The smell though, the smell was what got to Will the most. The smell of smoke was overwhelming. While Will and Mars weren’t close enough to the fires that they couldn’t breathe, the distinct smell certainly added more chaos to the whole event. Will stopped for a second to take a look around and regain his stamina. There were pokemon fleeing on all sides. He saw some deer-like pokemon, some miscellaneous birds and owls, a chansey, and a few more he couldn’t quite make out. None of these pokemon, however, needed his help.

“Mars, I'm not seeing anyone that needs any assistance, what about you?” Will found he had to yell to be made out clearly.

The lairon glanced around once more, and after a few moments shook his head at Will. 

“Understood, looks like we’re going deeper.”

The lairon nodded again, and sent a determined stare Will’s way.

“That’s my guy. Let’s get going,” Will smiled.

They continued to run deeper into the woods. Now, the fires were getting close, and the smoke was getting thicker. Will looked, and didn’t see anything in immediate harm. He tried to listen through the chaos, and could barely make out some panicked chirping. Will followed the source of the voice to a feathered pokemon collapsed on the ground. Will ran to it, and got on his knees beside it, identifying the feathered pokemon as a noctowl.

“Looks like a pretty bad burn,” Will said worryingly. “He’s got strength to keep going if I can fix it. Keep an eye out while I try to help him.”

Mars nodded, and Will began digging through his bag. In a short time, he pulled out something that looked like a spray bottle. Will muttered something under his breath and began administering the contents of the bottle to the noctowl. The pokemon let out a gentle “hoo” as Will finished his task. The injured pokemon found the strength to get up and slowly flap away in just a few moments.

“He’s good Mars, but there’s more work to be done, did you see anything?”

The lairon shook his head.

“Alright, then we go in even deeper.” Will looked around one last time before taking off deeper into the woods. He had only a few moments to think as he neared the every-growing flames.

Will started jogging, and turned to his partner, “How long do you think this will last?”

The lairon looked troubled for a moment, then came to an abrupt halt. As Will stopped to see why Mars had stopped so abruptly, he had caught sight of a ursaring. Will swifty maneuvered himself behind a tree. From what he could see, the pokemon was absolutely feral. It moved away from the flames at a steady pace, tearing down any tree that got before it.

Will turned to his partner in a hushed tone, “He doesn’t seem to be causing any problems yet, but we’ll follow the path he took. He might’ve caused some trouble already.”

Will began to sneak in the direction the ursaring came in. After he was a safe distance away, he returned to a jog, not wanting to waste anymore time than he had to. In only a few moments his head began to throb. He turned to his lairon, who seemed to be flinching to a similar discomfort. It felt like someone was screaming inside of Will’s skull. It was a high pitched cry, and while it wasn’t ear-splitting, it most certainly demanded his full attention. Will felt as if he had no choice but to find the source of the noise. He looked around, and as the pitch of the cry in his head changed, was able to locate it.

He was getting very close to the flames now. The air was getting warm, and the smoke soon became something to worry about. It would be unwise to try to venture any further, but at the sight of a kirlia trapped underneath a fallen tree, Will couldn’t turn around and leave. He dashed to the tree and grabbed onto it, and tried to lift with all his strength. Will then noticed that the tree was just inches away from the kirlia, being held up by some unseen force. He was glad to see that, as it showed that the kirlia wasn’t likely too crippled.

As he struggled to get the tree well away from the kirlia, Mars lodged himself between the ashen ground and the log, and carried the log off of the kirlia. Will took that time to inspect the pokemon for any injuries. While he didn’t want to sound rude, time was of the essence, so he had to get straight to the point.

“Are you hurt? Can you walk?”

The kirlia looked up at Will with a pained expression. The pokemon tried to get off of the ground, but after getting on their knees, collapsed once more.

“Mars, why don’t you carry them for now?” Will asked his lairon.

The lairon looked back at Will with an almost sassy expression, as if asking why he couldn’t do it himself.

“Fine, I’ll carry her-” Will cut off suddenly. He was looking into the distance, where a distant gyarados could be seen, who was accompanied by another ranger. The gyarados was shooting water into a growing section of the fire. More importantly however, was the ursaring making its way to the other rangers.

“Wait, Mars. The ursaring, it’s gonna end up walking right to that gyarados. If they’re busy with the fire, that ursaring could distract them long enough for the situation to get worse. Carry the kirlia, I’ll distract the ursaring,” Will commanded.

Mars looked worried at his trainer, but after seeing Will’s look of resolve, gave in. He followed Will in the direction of the ursaring, keeping careful of the frail kirlia on its back. Mars kept a distance from Will, enough that no collateral damage should come to him or the kirlia. 

Will, now close to the ursaring, yelled out for it. The beast turned around to face Will and let out a roar. It took one large step forward, and Will raised out his left arm. On his arm was a glove with a disc loaded into it. The glove-like device was a capture styler, and the disc inside was simply known as a capture disc. At the push of a button, the disc shot from the carrier on his arm. The device was about the size of Will’s palm. It had the ability to float in the air, and left a bright trail of light wherever it went. With some subtle movements of Will’s arm, the styler caused the device to circulate around the bear-like pokemon, distracting it from its surroundings. The lights emitted by the disc were designed to distract, as well as, in some form, hypnotize the pokemon. By keeping the device in a tight loop around a target, it would reduce aggressive and wild emotions -- and communicate the thoughts and feelings of the wielder.

Will kept the device going for some time, until the ursaring lashed out, and in its attempt to destroy the disc, sliced through a tree. The tree fell on the path of the capture disc, causing it to break its circle. The ursaring took the time to walk forward to Will with a mischievous smirk. Will tried to control the capture disc, and bring it in before the ursaring got to make an attack. Will knew however, that it wouldn’t make it in time. Still, deep down, he thought there was a chance, as slim as it was, that he could pull it off. 

The ursaring lifted his arm to swipe, but Will couldn’t afford to flinch. Soon though, Will was impacted harshly. It wasn’t a sharp claw, but a heavy lairon. Will was knocked to the ground, and the lairon bellowed in pain. Mars, after taking the recoil, retaliated with a tackle, It stunned the ursaring long enough for Will to get up, and bring the capture disc back around the beast. It spiraled around the large pokemon, and soon its angry demeanor became one of disdain, or disappointment. Reluctantly the ursaring turned away from the ranger and his pokemon, and made off with an incredibly grumpy look on his face. 

The look on Mars’ face was even worse. The pokemon was scowling at the ranger, and Will couldn’t help but flinch at the sight. Immediately after, Will’s eyes turned to a cut on the lairon’s back. The cut luckily wasn’t deep, and there was no blood in sight, yet it still looked painful. As Will tried to approach the lairon to tend to its wounds, it backed up, and pointed his head at a stump. The kirlia was resting against it, with a worried yet fatigued look in its eyes.

“You think they might be getting worse?”

The lairon nodded and made a small, deep, bark-like noise. 

“Ah, in that case,” Will looked at the kirlia. “I don’t want to risk it any longer, I’m going to put you in this ball until I get you to a pokemon center. You have my word you will be released,” Will bargained.

The kirlia hesitated for only a few moments, and in that moment seemed to look deep into Will’s being. The kirlia then nodded, and lowered their head. Willalready had a ball from his bag at the ready, and tapped the button while it faced the kirlia. In a few short ticks, the kirlia was caught. Will put the pokemon on a clip on his belt, next to Mars, so he wouldn’t forget that the kirlia is resting there anytime soon. 

“Alright, that’s done,” Will told the angry lairon.

Mars glared at him, as if expecting an apology.

“I… I’m sorry Mars. I shouldn’t have risked it. I’m glad that you stepped in, but I’m sorry I was being stupid,” Will apologized.

The lairon seemed content with his answer, lowered his head, and let out a sigh.  
“There’s still more work to be done though. We don’t have much time either. If you look at the fire, it seems to have created a line through the forest. There are probably pokemon or humans trapped on the other side of Eterna.”

The lairon took a glance at the wall of flames in the distance, and looked back at Will.

“Yes, the next question would be how to get to the other side.”

The pair looked around, and when their vision turned to where a gyarados used to be. Instead of a gyarados, there was a new path in its place.

“Right there Mars, the gyarados put out some of the fire, we can get through there.”

The lairon nodded and they both set off for the newly-opened route. As they crossed the ashen ground, Will noticed his feet splashing up water. The single gyarados had soaked an entire section of the fire with relative ease. Will decided that an impressive display wasn’t the biggest priority. He looked around for any signs of trouble. He saw pokemon running from the flames, but none were in need of help. Deciding to go deeper into the woods, the pair set off, until a distant glow caught their eye.

There was a large, dilapidated mansion. It seemed as if some of the fire had recently spread to it, as the exterior of the ground floor was mostly ablaze. Smoke bellowed upwards, filling the other floors with a dark haze. All of the entrances visible were either on fire, or collapsed due to structural damage.

“Oh no,” Will gasped. “That’s the ghost house right? There’s got to be tons of pokemon in there. How do we get in?” Will inspected the other sides of the building, “There’s no entrance.”

The lairon looked around as well, only to shrug in some sort of agreement.

“We have to find a way in, any pokemon in there might not have much time. We’re gonna need some help to get in, do you see a water-type nearby? Maybe someone strong enough to cut through the wood here?”

Mars shook his head.

“We’ll have to look around then, let’s get started,” Will stated.

At this point, Will did notice that the fires were reducing by a great margin. He saw pillars of thick smoke in the sky from freshly-smothered flames all around. The growing sound of siren also notified Will to the arrival of the fire department. They’re really doing a number on the fire, we can call this a success at this rate.

The two wandered around the perimeter of the mansion, looking for some pokemon to help get into the mansion. It seemed, at this point, like strong pokemon like an ursaring would be an incredibly rare find in this often docile forest. Then a realization came over Will. He moved the capture styler in front of himself, and turned on the ranger browser. The styler had a tablet embedded in it, capable of performing tasks almost identical to that of the pokedex. He inputted his location, and scrolled through the page.

“No water-types in here. Even the ursaring wasn’t native, so we have almost no chance of finding someone to break down any rubble to get inside. Wait a minute, I’m seeing a lot of wings here. If we gather enough, we can blow some of the flames out.”

The lairon pondered the idea, then smiled in agreement.

“Great, let’s get searching. There should be hoothoots, murkrows, beautiflys, and dustox. Keep your eyes up,” Will ordered.

They scanned the skies and the canopy for any sight of winged pokemon. It didn’t take too long to find a small gathering of beautiflies. Will raised his Styler, and sent forth the capture disc. It spun around the hoarde, and they all watched, entranced. Will concentrated not only on the movements of the disc but also the message he wanted to relay to them. Slowly, yet surely, the butterfly-like pokemon understood the ranger’s request. They floated next to him, and all seemed to express some form of agreement to the plan. Some of them fluttered off, and swiftly returned with a few different friends. They brought some more beautiflies, and a few dustox. 

Will and Mars lead the swarm back to the old mansion. The flames were growing every second, and if they couldn’t free the pokemon inside soon, the mansion was sure to collapse. 

Will turned to the swarm following behind him, “There are pokemon trapped in this mansion. I need you all to smother the flames at the main entrance with any gust you can produce.”

The miscellaneous bugs flew up to the doorway entrenched in flames. Without a word, they all began to flap their wings erratically. The wind at first caused the flames to grow in size, but due to the constant barrage, the flames swiftly suffocated. After a few thanks from Will, the pokemon buzzed off, leaving Will and Mars alone. Not wanting to waste any time Will ran through the now-empty doorway.

“Everyone! There’s a way out here!” Will shouted.

In only a few short moments, several cries could be heard from deep within the mansion. A flood of different pokemon rushed past Will. He saw murkrow, some rodent-like pokemon, a few ghastly, some misdreavus, and even a couple rotoms. While most pokemon made a break for it, some took the time to acknowledge their rescuer with a chirp or smile. One rotom even stuck around. He did a small spin around Will, and seemed to discharge some type of energy and vanished in the blink of an eye. A chill went down Will’s spine immediately after.

The sounds of a falling ceiling encouraged him to leave the atrium of the mansion. Will kept his ears peeled for the sounds of any cries, and heard nothing but the sound of cracking wood and falling planks. He was content with his success, and met Mars several meters away from the entrance. Will heard a new sound far behind him, the sound of a human voice. The tone was familiar, it had to have been someone Will knew. He turned to see a familiar face from behind a wall of flames.

It was none other than a rival ranger, Bruno. He was a sharp contrast from Will. Bruno was tall, and had short blond hair. He shouted out some kind of name, and released a pokemon from a ball. At this distance, it looked like a small hippo. The pokemon let out a roar, and it released a plume of sand from its back. The sand continued to grow until it suffocated a large area of embers, entombing the flammable foliage beneath. 

Bruno’s technique seemed to be working incredibly, as a large section of flames that used to block off the old mansion was now nothing but ash. Most of the flames actually seemed to be put out at this point. Most of what was left was smoke.

Bruno walked through the newly-created path. He caught sight of Will, and let out a chuckle.

“Crazy seeing you here Will, especially without anything to really put out any fires.”

Will rolled his eyes, “Hey, I could still help.”

“Well sure! Saved any, um, caterpies?” Bruno teased.

“Look now isn’t the time. The whole region will praise you when this is all over but can we be just a little serious at a time like this?”

“Yeah fine, I suppose. Most of the fires have been put out so far. The firefighters arrived a few minutes ago. We’re still whittling down some small ones. At this point, I would just submit any data you got to HQ.”

Will thought about his options. “Send the Styler data? I suppose they want a benchmark of what the rangers have done.”

Bruno shrugged, “Probably.”

“Helpful,” Will responded.

“Well who put out more fires?” Bruno winked.

“Haha, good one, anyway, I have places to be.” Will lied.

“Wait, when did you get another pokemon?” Bruno pointed at the second pokeball on Will’s belt.

“Oh, I put an injured pokemon in there, I was in too much of a rush to take them to a center.”

“Well without a water or ground type, or a medical degree, you won’t be much help in the field anymore, why don’t you take ‘em to a center now?” Bruno offered.

“Yeah fine, I’ll get to that. I’ll be seeing you.” Will said while walking off.

“I sure hope,” Bruno laughed.

Will set off to the eastern exit of the forest. Mars followed, but was looking pretty exhausted.

“Hey Mars, you took a bit of a beating, why don’t I spare you the walk and get you healed up?”

The lairon didn’t disagree, and was promptly put into a pokeball. On his way out of the forest, there were a few things stuck in Will’s mind. The first was the ranger with the gyarados, and how fast they were. The second would be the unnatural speed at which the whole situation seemed to resolve. Maybe there just wasn't any use for rangers anymore, or at least, this many. The thought saddened Will, but he couldn’t help but feel it was true. His third and final thought was his pride for saving the pokemon in that mansion. The electric feeling the Rotom sent through Will also made him uneasy, but he just left it as a weird way of thanking him.

Will finished his walk to the pokemon center alone with his thoughts. He snapped back into it when he heard the classic song played in every pokemon center. The area was clean and pristine, a strong juxtaposition from the chaotic scene Will had just returned from. He walked up to the front desk, and was quickly met by a young lady.

“So this one,” Will handed the lady Mars’ pokeball. “He just needs the usual revitaliser. This other one though,” Will set the kirlia’s ball on the desk. “They were picked up during the fire, I know they’re injured, but I don’t know how serious it is.”

The nurse inspected the pokeballs for a moment. “Sounds good. I’ll get this one in the machine and back to you soon. The other one, well we’re very busy due to obvious reasons, so it might take a while. I see you have a Styler, so I should be able to page you when the pokemon is healed up.”

“That's fine with me, thank you for the help,” Will said with a soft smile,

He stood by the desk until Mars was recovered, and when the pokeball was handed back, he left the pokemon center. As he began the walk back to Floaroma Town he let his lairon out of his ball. The pokemon greeted him happily.

“Hey Mars, glad to see you're feeling better,” Will said with a smile. The smile quickly faded, and the lairon looked at Will quizzically. “I forgot the bike in the woods.”

When Will got back to his apartment, he threw his backpack on the ground and fell right onto his bed. Mars started growling at him.

“Ugh, Mars, I’m tired.”

The lairon rolled its eyes. It motioned to the bathroom, more specifically, the shower.

“Are you saying I smell like smoke?”

The lairon groaned in agreement.

“Fine, I’ll be right back.”

Will took off his smoke-stained clothes and his capture styler, and got into the shower. His mind drifted to his joy with the action he saw today. While he felt guilty that something so horrible could bring him any pleasure, it was an impossible feeling to ignore. His life was incredibly boring, doing small tasks for the town now and then. He got to live in an apartment in one of the most beautiful towns of the region because of his line of work, but aside from that, there wasn’t much special in Will’s life. Being able to make a difference, and to maybe have even saved some lives, was very fulfilling. 

Too soon however, the shower got cold and it was time to get out. Will put on some fresh clothes and greeted Mars. Will’s view turned to a window. While the sun was beginning to set, and the sky was turning orange like the fire Will had just fought, there still seemed to be a bit of daylight left in the day. The first thing Will thought to do, was to apologize to Mars once more for the incident with the ursaring.

“Um, Mars,” Will muttered.

The pokemon tilted his head in interest.  
“Thanks again for saving me back there, but I shouldn’t have put you in that situation in the first place. So yeah, thanks for being such a great partner.”

The lairon smiled gleefully.

“I really wouldn’t have become a ranger if you didn’t teach me the bond people and pokemon could have. Why don’t I start making us some dinner?”

The lairon yipped in agreement.

“That right there,” Will said while pulling a pot out from a cabinet, “Is exactly what I mean. No matter what I say, you always seem to understand perfectly. It seems to be partially related to the bond a pokemon has with a human. You and I have both noticed how unresponsive feral pokemon can be.”

Mars nodded, and climbed up onto a chair to get a better view of Will fiddling with a stove.

“Sadly, It’s hard for humans to understand pokemon. Isn’t it weird? I can ask you to do anything, and you’d know precisely what I mean -- but if you make a noise to me, I’m never certain as to what you mean.”

Soon something began to boil.

“It’s a shame, really. It kind of makes me think that maybe pokemon really are the better species. Yes us humans have technology… and thumbs… but yet we still can’t break the language barrier. Except for a few exceptions of course, like transforming pokemon, psychic-types, and some really exclusive tech. Though most of those come from pokemon, in all honesty.”

Will got out two plates, and placed the contents of the pot on them.

“But aside from that. I’ve been thinking -- you know, crazy -- that this life isn’t for me. Now I don’t mean losing the ranger life, but this town? It’s getting cramped.”

Mars seemed to think about this idea, but stopped in favor of eating from the plate Will had just set down. 

“I love the snow, it hardly ever snows here. I’m not a fan of the city, yet Eterna City is just a little ways away. Not only is the location subpar, but isn’t the life of an A-rank ranger supposed to be lived, well, everywhere? But we’re cooped up here because there just doesn’t seem to be anything left to do. I want to see the world, and more than anything, I want to make a difference, but I don’t see that happening here.”

The lairon finished up his meal, and looked at Will for a while, pondering what he had said. When Mars seemed to come to a conclusion, he nodded happily, and made a deep barking sound.

“I’m glad you agree. We’ll just have to hope for our big break for a bit, if it doesn’t come, we’ll make it happen ourselves. Now let me clean up these dishes.”

Will took the plates to the sink and got to work. The lairon watched him from across the room, lost in thought. A sudden beeping sound drew his attention away from his own mind.

“Huh, what’s this?” Will grabbed his styler, and saw a message from the pokemon center. “Ah, the kirlia is all patched up. I’ll have to bike back now, even if it’s getting late. Mind if I put you in the ball?”

Will had just begun riding back to his apartment with the kirlia in a ball on his hip. On his monotonous bike ride, Will couldn’t help but begin to daydream. He imagined what it would be like to have a kirlia on his team. A ranger would greatly benefit from the presence of a psychic type, but Will scolded himself for letting that be his first thought. More importantly to him, would be another friendly face. Being alone was never easy. It wasn’t hard for negative thoughts to come in when you only have yourself and one other partner. Perhaps Will’s greatest fear was that one day he would die, and no one would even remember he existed.

He forced himself back to thinking of the kirlia. Perhaps… I can take care of them? He thought. But he dismissed the idea as foolish. The kirlia has a family. I can’t rob them of that. He forced the thoughts out of his mind. He fought to stop his hopes from rising. Luckily for Will, he was at his apartment already, and could focus on getting inside.

When the door shut behind Will, he got out two pokeballs, and pressed the buttons. Two forms appeared in front of him; a lairon, and a kirlia. The kirlia looked around confused, and when she made eye contact with Will, it clicked. She smiled and put her hands together, probably in some attempt to thank him.

“Heh, there’s no need to thank me. I was just doing my job,” Will said apprehensively.

The kirlia still beamed with glee, making him blush at their gratitude. Mars chuckled as well.  
“Well, I bet you’re tired, and probably miss home. Tonight I’ll set out a bed for you. Before that, I can make you something to eat. Then tomorrow, we can set out to find your family?”

The kirlia’s eyes widened. They shook their head, and looked around nervously, slightly biting their lower lip. After a deep breath, they put their hands together and bowed their head slightly. Then they pointed to the second ball on Will’s belt.

“Huh? Oh. You want to go home now, and you want me to break the ball”

The kirlia’s eyes widened again, this time a more blatant expression of fear struck their face. Mars shook his head laughing.

“What is it? You know I don't like being left in the dark,” Will said anxiously.

Mars nodded his head to the kirlia, then to Will. He started tapping his stumpy paws together, creating a metal clanking sound. Will stared for a second, processing all this.

“Wait, you want to join the team!?” Will uttered in mild shock.

The kirlia giggled, and nodded.

“You’re serious about that? I don’t want to pressure you.”

Mars walked up to Will and gently headbutted his shin. Fine. I’ll take the hint man.

“Well in that case, feel free to stay however long you like! Now let’s get you some dinner.”

The two pokemon took a seat on some chairs and watched Will.

“Um what do kirlia’s eat?”

The kirlia looked around, signifying her confusion over the question as well. Will deemed it smart to browse the ranger catalogue, and scanned through it.

“I’m seeing a fairly vegetarian diet. I think the best I know how to make here is a berry and veggie salad, that sound good enough?”

The pokemon chirped happily, and Will started working. 

“So, you got a name? And what gender are you, I don’t know if I need to call you a he or a she.”

The kirlia pointed at their head, specifically the red discs poking out of it.

“Huh, is that really a sign?” Will looked through his browser again. “Yep there it is, the formation of a kirlia’s head disc determines their sex. What about a name?”

The kirlia shook her head.

“No on that one then. Well I will gladly think of some names for you tomorrow, I’m sure Mars will help too.”

Mars smiled in agreement, and the kirlia smiled with him. 

“I’m glad you’re on board. Before any of that, your dinner is ready,” Will said with a grin.

Will and Mars made small talk while the kirlia ate. Will decided that Mars was more than happy to have her on the team, and he couldn’t be more glad. When the kirlia finished eating, Will started his usual pre-sleep routine. After Will’s trip to the bathroom, and a little tour of the apartment for kirlia, the three ended up in the bedroom. It was small, with only a bed, a nightstand, and dresser, but no more was really needed. 

“Alright, so Mars can sleep on the bed with me tonight, and you can sleep on his mattress, or in your pokeball. I promise Mars’ bed is clean, I washed all the bedding this morning. It's pretty big, and very thick too, as the guy weighs as much as a small car.”

Mars growled defensively. The kirlia laughed at the joke. She then pointed to the bed and nodded.

“That settles that then,” Will said while taking off his styler. He walked to his nightstand where the charger rested. He placed the device on the charger, only to see it was already perfectly charged. Huh, must be some display error. I’ll keep on the charger just in case, and take it in for a repair tomorrow.

The styler quickly let out a few purple sparks, causing the kirlia to turn and give it a harsh glare.

“That’s really odd. I’ll need to take it back to H.Q. tomorrow.”

The kirlia didn’t stop looking at the device with a suspicious glance until a few more seconds passed. Eventually, she calmed down and sat on her bed. Before Will could get onto his own bed, a ringtone played.

“A call this late?” Will picked up the styler and saw a contact from some sort of corporation. “That’s strange too. Let me take this real quick.”

Will pressed a button, and the voice of a middle-aged man came through.

“Is this Will Archer?”

“Yes this is him,” Will confirmed.

“Nice to meet you! I’m Ozzie, a regional manager for Dux Enterprise. You might have heard of us, we often work with you rangers in the tech field.”

“Um, yeah, I sure have. What’s up?”

“Well there’s an opening, three actually, for a ranger. You see, we’ve recently taken on a task of developing a whole island -- like what they did to Alola. We need a handful of prestigious trainers to help us out and keep things going smoothly.”

“How did you find me out? I haven’t been in the field for long.” Will questioned.

“You see,” Ozzie continued. “We saw you on the front page of Sinnoh’s news sites, along with two others. A senior ranger named Kris, and two newer ones, a boy named Bruno, and you Will.”

“I’m in the news? And they got it out already?” Will stated in disbelief. He noted to never cross any reporters, with speed like that, they were an intimidating bunch.

“Haha, they sure did,” Ozzie chuckled. “So after a discussion with Director Glade, it seems you’d be a great asset to our island. I’d like to meet you and the other two rangers at our base in Sinnoh tomorrow for an interview.”

Will’s eyes lit up, “Wow, that sounds great, but I have a contract going for my town right now. If you end up wanting me to work soon, I wouldn’t be able to.”

“We’ve actually already talked to the rangers about that, but you’ll get more info on that tomorrow. So, if you’re willing, why don’t you meet me at Dux’s lobby tomorrow, say, ten o’clock?”

Will took a look at his teammates, and saw nothing but fascinated and supportive looks.

“I’ll be there.”


	2. The Dux Corporation

Will had trouble sleeping last night. All the memories kept his brain going into the late hours of the night, playing different scenarios in his head over and over. When he finally woke up, the flood of excitement over yesterday’s events came right back, as if he had never slept. Will rubbed his eyes and looked around his cramped room. Mars was clocked out on the other side of the bed, snoring loudly. When Will sat up, he could see the kirlia sat up as well. She looked around in confusion and rubbed her head.

“Good morning,” Will said with a groggy tone.

The kirlia smiled back softly, but the confusion still was visible in her eyes.

“Is everything okay? You do know where you are right?”

She nodded, as her eyes scanned the room. She remembered the events of yesterday just fine, It was what happened in her sleep that was a cause of concern. Mars’ snoring began to soften. 

“Was it a strange dream?” Will suggested.

The kirlia’s eyes widened, coming to a realisation. She nodded heartily to Will.

“Huh, what did you dream about? I had a lot of different ones last night. Like saving those pokemon yesterday, and this new interview.”

The pokemon just stared at Will, the confusion now hit a point of great intensity. She lifted a finger in the direction of Will, in a form of agreement.

“Oh you did too? I can’t blame you,” Will laughed in a dismissive tone. 

Will got out of bed and stretched his arms out. He poked at Mars a few times to wake him up, and upon doing so, he let out a loud growl. Will ignored his pokemon’s stubborn attitude, and made his way to the dresser. He grabbed a set of clothes and made his way to the bathroom. After getting himself ready for the day, he came out to see the kirlia looking out a window. 

“You doing okay? Did that dream mess you up?” Will questioned.

The kirlia shook her head. She opened her mouth as if to say something, then closed it with hesitation, with a somber expression.

“Well that’s okay, it’s just a dream. We can talk about it later if you’d like.”  
The kirlia nodded. She then remembered something, and pointed to the bedroom, in which a lairon was still lost in sleep. Will grinned at the kirlia, and proceeded to walk to the lairon and nudge him awake. Will didn’t stop until Mars’ eyes opened, and stayed that way. Mars let out an annoyed groan, and got out of bed with a loud thud.

“Mars you’re gonna wake up the people downstairs,” Will commented.

The lairon just looked at him with a lifeless stare and proceeded to the kitchen.

“All I did was wake you up, don’t be so dramatic.”

The kirlia let out a giggle.

“Well since you’re both up, let me get you some breakfast,” Will said while getting out three bowls. He poured cereal into one, and a different type of pokemon food into the others. While Will disliked feeding them the cheap pokemon food, with Will’s budget it was the best he could do.

Will set the plates down at the table, and Mars and the kirlia sat down to eat. Will went back into the kitchen, and brought back a spoon and a glass of water for both himself and the kirlia. Mars looked at the treatment the kirlia was getting, and gave Will an over-exaggerated shocked and betrayed look. 

“Mars, as much as I love you, you don’t have hands,” Will said while shaking his head.

The lairon tapped his metal paws together and looked disappointed, but ended up forgetting quickly due to the prospect of food in front of him.

“So guys, today I have that interview at ten. Dux labs is in Canalave too, so we’ll need to leave soon. Since we have a little bit of time though, how did you two sleep?” Will questioned.

Mars glared at him, and Will took that as an ‘all too well’, The kirlia thought about it for a moment, and nodded.

“Oh yeah. That nightmare huh? Or just a pretty intense dream, right?”

The kirlia nodded. She clearly struggled to find the words to explain it. Will noticed this, but couldn’t come up with a solution, so he changed the subject.

“We’ll just have to hope that tonight’s are better,” Will said while picking up the bowls from the table. When he finished washing everything he returned to the room. He searched for something to wear to the interview, since the interview was for such a prestigious employer, he went for the formal ranger outfit. 

These clothes were different from the conventional ranger’s. Instead of the usual red jacket, it used a longer back jacket with a fancier fabric. The shorts were replaced with pants, and the shirt was now a half-sleeve white dress shirt. A black tie was used, the only time the clothes leaned more to aesthetic than practicality. The outfit was intended to allow for unrestricted movement to carry out duties, while also conveying a more formal setting. It was used in ranger’s interviews, formal meetings, in offices, and countless other examples. It was, without a doubt, not a bad choice for today.

Will left his mirror behind and returned to the living room. His pokemon looked up at him, and Mars gave him a nod with a smirk, the kirlia seemed to agree with his choice as well. Will decided to take his styler along with him. It still displayed its battery at 100%, Will reminded himself to get it fixed. 

“Well, if you’re all ready, I’ll be putting you in your pokeballs,” Will stated.

Neither of his pokemon had any objections, and Will put them away and onto his belt. He turned off his apartment's lights and walked out the door, making his way to his bike. Will began his treck to Canalave City, and his mind shifted to what could be in store. Ozzie, the man who reached out to him, seemed nice enough. The man was outgoing, but also felt laid back, a welcome mood from any authority. Director Glade, however, was still a mystery to Will. Will didn’t even know if he would be meeting him on this trip, and Will didn’t like the sound of needing to.

Will attempted to push any anxiety over the meeting into the back of his mind, and just continued to Canalave. He went south of Floaroma, breezing by the flowers. On a bike he didn’t have to worry about wild pokemon, making the trip much faster. When he got to Jubilife, Will took a right turn, heading west. The city was lively at this point in the morning. People were walking around enjoying the day, but Will could never find so much joy in city life. While it wasn’t all too bad, the lack of nature did steer him away from ever moving to Jubilife. In just a few minutes he broke out of the city’s limits, and was on the last road to Canalave.

Canalave, while also a city, fostered a maritime connection to nature. This meant Will always had a greater appreciation of this city than one like Jubilife. He could see himself getting a house near the beach. Though the prospect of the beach itself wasn’t all too exciting for Will, the view and fresh air would be welcome. 

The city also had a fair share of interesting and innovative experiences. The docks were a sight to see, with every size ship you could find. The canal flowing through the center was a hallmark of the city. It also hosted an impressive museum, one of many in the region. Canalave’s gym was another star piece of the town, with the steel-type pokemon being a tough obstacle for most trainers. Most important to Will was the library connected to the museum. It was the biggest internationally, containing information from centuries ago, and was one of the few places texts about the beginnings of humans and pokemon could be found. 

Will’s mental tour of the city came to a close as he neared the Dux building. It was large. While it was just three stories tall, it was very wide. The building used a lot of glass, creating a modern look. Large black tiles lined the walls and ceiling, making it obvious how new the building was relative to this historical pinnacle that was Canalave city. Will found an area to park his bike near the entrance.

Tightening his tie once more, Will walked through the building’s glass doors. The lobby was large. There were some sitting areas, a table with a coffee machine, a large row of different reception desks, and another pokemon ranger. The ranger was seated at one of the black couches in a sitting area, and made eye contact with Will. They looked femine, but only just, creating a tomboy appearance. They took a sip of coffee, and raised a hand up at Will, signaling him over. 

Will approached the ranger, and saw them wearing a navy suit. At this sight, Will wondered if he might have been underdressed after all. He sat down on a couch in front of the lady. He wondered for a moment if this was Ozzie, but that wouldn’t make much sense, so he dismissed the thought.

The lady spoke to Will, “You must be Will right? You can’t be Bruno with hair that dark.”

“You’re right,” Will replied. “Wait are you Kris?”

“Sure am. I checked in with a receptionist, we’re here a bit early so we’ll have to wait for Ozzie and Bruno to show up.”

“Sounds good,” Will said, anxious in the presence of Kris. She was a senior ranger after all, who single-handedly did a large number on the fire in Eterna.

“So, we’ve got time to burn. Tell me about how you’ve become a ranger,” Kris said, trying to make some small talk. Will welcomed the question, wanting to end the silence.

“Oh, well let’s see. It started with my lairon, an aron at the time. We’d go off and explore, like most new trainers, but battling never stuck. So I decided to go for a job that would let me help people and pokemon, as well as stay outside,” Will explained.

“You lived in Sinnoh for how long?” Kris inquired.

“My whole life, 19 years,” Will answered.

“A young ranger then. Always nice to see. I used to live here. Moved to Almia around my high school years. After a few years of being a ranger and getting established, I moved back here. Been a ranger for about twelve years, right on the edge of being a senior ranger.”

“That’s really interesting. Almia has got a pretty big ranger school. No league, but a lot of decent people, and a big ranger base right?” Will asked.

“You’re right. Rangers only got more popular there after an incident with Darkrai. That’s what happens when you try to tame a legendary. Moved back here as soon as I could though, with so many rangers around, why try to be one yourself?”

Will found himself agreeing with Kris. “I feel the same way now. I can’t get my foot off the ground with so many rangers in the business. I was just lucky to be the first to get to the old chateau back in Eterna, nothing more.”

“You might think that, but you are sitting here, in one of the most prestigious company’s lobby. To break those pokemon out of a burning building took some thinking and guts. You must also have a pretty good track record to be here. Point is, don’t sell yourself short, these days, we need to take any opportunities that come our way.”

Will went quiet to digest her words. He couldn’t agree more. He felt so trapped in Sinnoh. There was always a pain in his chest when he remembered that no mountain hadn’t been climbed, no pokemon uncaught, no cave unturned.

His thoughts concluded when a blonde-haired ranger entered the lobby. It was Bruno, he stood tall and scanned the room. After his eyes met Kris’, he moved over to the other two rangers. On cue, a man came into the lobby from a door that led deeper into the building. He was wearing a black suit with a blue tie which had an unpleasant floral pattern. He wasn’t too tall, about Will’s height, though he sported a more round frame. He walked to the three rangers with a smile on his face. 

“You three must be Kris, Bruno, and Will right?” The man said with a hearty grin. “I’m Ozzie, but you’ll find a lot of people call me Oz. Thanks for coming down to Canalave.”

Ozzie extended his hand to meet each of the three rangers’. 

He continued, “Would you guys follow me to the back? I’d like to give you all a little tour. I’d like to have a one on one with each of you before long though.”

“Sounds great,” Bruno said. They followed Ozzie past a set of doors. Will looked around to see a series of cubicles, as well as tables, with a variety of workers sitting around. 

“As you can see,” Ozzie began, “We have a lot of office space. It’s because we try to specialize in so much. We’re working hard in a lot of different fields, some for trainers, some for rangers, some for your everyday person. If you can think of it, we’re innovating it.”

The three rangers seemed pretty impressed at the sheer amount of things that were going on. Conversations, people scribbling on whiteboards, the clacking of keyboards. It was no wonder to Will how Dux became such a prominent name. The corporation was organized, and worked almost at an unnatural pace. 

“Since you three are field rangers, there’s no real need to worry about the offices. Nor the technological advancements in household appliances,” Ozzie let out a loud laugh at his own joke. Bruno laughed too, but from what Will knew about Bruno, the laugh was definitely forced.

Ozzie led them to a nearby elevator, and after everyone was in, pressed the B3 button.

“Down here, we’ve put everything ranger related. Stylers, browsers, outfits even. We work with the official ranger scientists too, and exchange new findings to keep improving. I’ve also heard from the head of the department that they’re working with pokemon volunteers to increase the capture disc’s power.”

They stepped off of the elevator. Will looked around to see the floor was divided into large glass rooms, all for different purposes. Peering through the glass, he saw one room with a variety of different stylers, some sleek and modern, and some classic and round. Most of them were partly disassembled, indicating the recent work put into them.

Ozzie saw Will’s interest, and continued the tour, “While we might be advancing, what we’re most proud of is the passion put into these tools. Those stylers? They’ve been fiddled with over and over and over. Our current styler has been through years of adaptation.”

Will decided to pipe up, now feeling a bit more comfortable. “What all have you been able to do with stylers? From what I’ve read, development has stalled these past few years.”

Ozzie chucked, “We’ve done a lot. Developments in official ranger labs found ways to pacify hypnotized or enraged pokemon. Additionally, we’ve been able to combine the styler with the power of a pokeball to tether a pokemon to a ranger, so you don’t have to let any go during an emergency.”

Bruno nodded his head, “That could be a lot of help. Are you dishing those stylers out now?”

That didn’t settle very well with Will. While he could see the value in foring pokemon around to help with a specific task for a greater good, the power of a ranger always relied on friendship and good will, not force.

“Sadly,” Ozzie shook his head, “We’re not handing those out quite yet. Due to some discourse in the ethics committee, we’ve only gotten clearance to implement it as a strict ‘emergency feature’ in our new prototypes.”

“A bit of a shame,” Bruno chimed in.

Ozzie walked them past a few of the glass rooms. He saw ones with employees working on capture discs, as well as testing them out. The lines they drew look brighter than one’s Will could produce. The group walked past a room with a wide range of outfits, all covered in different pieces of technology. 

Ozzie motioned to the clothes in the room. “We work with our tailors in our growing ‘specialization’ department to get your gear to fit any situation you would find yourself in. Dux by no means invented the idea of specialization, but we’re the first to elaborate on it in the current crowded world.”

“What kind of differences are there?” Kris asked.

“Well that one in the corner,” Ozzie pointed to a heavier red and yellow suit, “Is for firefighting specifically. We’ve got ones with actual armor embedded in them, just light stuff, for policing or urban duties. For senior rangers who work as supervisors or commanders, we have something more formal. With Sinnoh becoming such a crowded place, focusing a ranger's effort into one field is the sole way things can work out.”

Will found himself agreeing with Ozzie on that point. It wasn’t a new revelation that there was nothing left to do in Sinnoh. From the conversation he had with Kris earlier, Will was not alone in thinking that.

A younger woman, who looked to be in the middle-twenties approached the group. She was wearing a white coat with a variety of tools sticking out of various pockets. Ozzie reached his arms out in an exaggerated fashion, welcoming her into the conversation. 

“Kris, Bruno, Will,” Ozzie told the group, “Here is the floor supervisor, Jasmin. She's worked here all her life, even while she was in school. After working with us so long, it’s no surprise why she’s the boss on this floor.”

Jasmin smiled, “No need for fanfare Oz. I’m nothing special, I just worked hard. Are these the three from the Eterna incident?”

“They sure are. Would you mind showing them around while I have a discussion with them one on one?” Ozzie asked. “I just need to take Kris here first.”

“Sure thing,” Jasmin said while Ozzie and Kris began to walk to the other side of the floor. “You two must be Bruno and Will. Let me show you what we do here.”

The three walked back to the room with the stylers, but entered into the room this time. Bruno and Will could now get a good look at all of the elements of the room. Will could see the diagrams, notes, and goals scribbled onto different paper or drawn onto whiteboards. There were dozens of different types of stylers in the room, some old, some new, but all of them with different features. Jasmin grabbe one with a sleek black sheen.

“I noticed you got a glance at these, though I didn’t see you go inside. This is where we work on stylers, and in the larger room right beside us is where researchers develop new capture discs. One of the things we’re working on right now is the most compact styler possible. We want to combine every tool in the rangers arsenal to make something special for the rangers we assign to the mission you all are here to be interviewed for.”

Will was reminded that this was, after all, an interview. Confused, he decided to ask a few questions.  
“You say this is an interview, but not much interviewing is going on. This seems more like recruitment to me. Why are you all so confident we’ll be the perfect rangers for your island?”

Bruno nudged Will with his elbow, “Don’t ruin it man, everything was going just fine.”

Jasmin softly bit her lip, thinking about what she wanted to say. “Well, that’s because Ozzie knows everything about you he needs to already. The word interview was a formality, really. Ozzie has access to your records as a ranger, and has already looked through everything he can. I don’t know why exactly he wants you three, but he’s dead set on it.”

Will and Bruno were quiet for a moment, pondering Jasmin’s words. Breaking the silence, Jasmin continued talking about the styler.

“Anyway, rangers going to Corala, the new island Ozzie talked to you about, will need better gear. So, you three, what does a ranger always carry with them when working?”

Bruno answered first, “A styler, capture disc, our own pokemon, a backpack, water, and first aid supplies.”

Will continued where Bruno left off, “You need a flashlight too, as well as a knife or axe if possible. A lighter as well.”

Jasmin smiled at the rangers’ responses, “Exactly. The styler I’m holding combines a few of those things together. You know how some stylers, especially those in Almia and Fiore, have a short beam of light emit from them while they make a capture? It’s like a conductor's baton, and lets the ranger move the capture disc without wrist movement alone. Well check this out.”

From the end of the styler, a blade shot out. The blade became enveloped in the same light emitted by a capture disc. 

“Look at this,” Jasmin grinned with excitement now. “Now a knife can always be at the ready, in case of any emergency. We can bring back the baton feature with this too. It also works as a torch. Isn’t it fascinating?”

“Knife? More like a short sword,” Bruno quipped.

“I don’t know about the idea of pulling a knife on a pokemon I’m trying to capture, but it could be useful,” Will commented.

Jasmin retracted the blade into the styler. “Well you don’t have to have the blade up to activate the baton, so you can use whatever you need to.” Jasmin focused on changing the subject, “There are a few other interesting changes we’ve made. First of all, the styler just takes up half of the forearm, making it smaller than normal despite having extra features. Oh, and we’ve been working with our pokeball developers to install the ability to tether pokemon.”

“Ozzie mentioned that,” Bruno added.

“Well then, I’ll just go into a bit more of the science, if I may. The pokeball creates a ‘net’ of the same energy the capture disc emits. The light communicates certain feelings, and scientists make it so friendly and positive emotions are the only ones that do get transfered. Now with this new technology we’ve been working on, after the capture of a pokemon a string of light will connect the pokemon and the styler. This means the ranger would have to break the link to let the pokemon go, and keep any wild pokemon handy for any important uses.”

Will didn’t like the idea of the tether at all. He spoke up, “Why do we need the tether if we can keep pokemon around of their own will after friendship has been communicated?”

“Well,” Jasmin explained, “Without a tether real-time emotions can’t be transferred. This means angry pokemon that become pacified run off. With the tether, we can keep those pokemon around by never giving up the connection. Right now we’re working on communicating other emotions to pokemon, so keeping them around for the sake of friendship alone isn’t the only way to get pokemon to help. The ability to streamline desperation, sacrifice, duty, responsibility, and more, can make the difference of life and death.”

Bruno nodded, but Will still couldn’t agree. Changing the emotions that can be conveyed could force pokemon to perform tasks that aren’t in good will. It could be useful in some cases, but was it right? Will wondered, is it moral? Is it worth the difference between life or death? His mind turned to the ursaring in Eterna Forest. If the ursaring stuck by Will’s side, saving the pokemon in that burning mansion would have been a breeze. Though by being observant and working with other pokemon a consensual option could still work out. 

Jasmin set the styler down and led Bruno and Will to the door.

“Why don’t we check out something else?” Jasmin asked, though she was quickly cut off by the return of Ozzie and Kris.

“Sorry Jasmin, mind if I speak with Bruno next?’ Ozzie offered.

“Sure Oz, go right ahead.”

The two walked back to the other side of the floor, and left the view of the remaining three. Will took a look at Kris, assessing their mood and reaction to the discussion she just had with Ozzie. Kris looked expressionless as always, but since she was still here, it was probable she ended up striking a deal with Ozzie.

“Hello Kris,” Jasmin said with a soft smile. “We were just about to go see the gear we’re giving out to the rangers joining Dux on Corala. Would you two follow me?”

The three returned to the room littered in different outfits. Inside were hangars, clothing racks, fabric covering tables, as well as different trinkets and gadgets lining shelves. Jasmin fished out three different sets of clothing from a rack. 

“So on Corala, Dux is in need of three different types of rangers. We need a few to stay in established towns and cities. These rangers will be working with the police, patrolling, and keeping peace between humans and pokemon. Because of this, we have an outfit designed to mirror a police uniform. It uses black with some easily-spotted yellow accents. Most important is the light armor found on the chest, arms, and legs. The stuff is enough to stop a knife, or a pokemon attack.”

Will didn’t want to stay in cities and towns the whole time. While it might be safer, it wasn’t Will’s style. Jasmin noticed both Will’s and Kris’ mild reactions, and showed off a different outfit to try to play on her audience’s interests a bit more.

“There are other reasons we need rangers. We’ll need some people to help us set up new towns, keep wild pokemon away from growing communities, and use pokemon to help grow those communities as well. For that one, we went with something more regal. It's your normal ranger’s outfit, but the colors are black and white, with some gold accents. These rangers are supposed to be a symbol to the people, so it’s also supposed to be nicer from a professional standpoint than your normal ranger gear.”

Kris crossed her arms, and continued to stare down the outfit. Will got the feeling that was what Kris wanted to be. Will couldn’t blame her, you stayed close to civilization, but focused on helping build and grow communities with the help of pokemon. Will contemplated the occupation some more, until Jasmin displayed the last of the outfits.

“Well this one is admittedly very straightforward. It’s the classic ranger clothes but with some color variations, now sporting darker greens and blues. That’s because Dux needs some rangers to chart out more of the terrain, since most of the island has yet to be explored. So this final outfit has classic shorts, short-sleeve shirts, and the small jacket as well. The colors are chosen to blend into some natural environments.”

Will decided that was the job for him. There was no doubt in his mind that exploration would be what he could do best. Then the sound of an opening door dragged Will from his thoughts. Ozzie and Bruno stepped into the room. Bruno had a smug look on his face, leading Will to believe his discussion went well. Ozzie greeted Jasmin with a small wave.

“Here’s Bruno for you, Jasmin. Now I’ve just got to talk to Will then we can make some decisions,” Ozzie said to Jasmin with a small wink.

Jasmin nodded. Will walked to the door, and started down the hall with Ozzie. He always seemed to have his head in the clouds, smiling, optimistic, and a tad bit unprofessional. He led Will to a room, one of the few on the floor without glass walls.There was a desk here, and Ozzie sat down on one end, leaving Will to sit on the other. 

“So Will, how was your little tour?” Ozzie asked politely.

“It was interesting, great to see all of your cool toys locked up down here.”

Ozzie chuckled, “Sure is. Now before I let you onto the team there are a few questions I need to go over. First, what is, in your opinion, the greatest goal for humanity?”

Will looked questioningly at Ozzie, “A big first question. Well I think making everyone happy is a great place to start.”

“Okay, I like that. And would you say that safety and progress are important to achieving this goal?”  
Will nodded, “I believe so.”

“Great to hear. Now, what role do you think pokemon play in achieving these goals for humanity?”

Will didn’t have to think for very long, “Well they mean everything to those goals. Pokemon can lead the world to a much happier and more advanced future.”

Ozzie seemed to be happy with Will’s response, “Last one, you are more than willing to work with pokemon to achieve these goals, correct?”

“I certainly am,” Will said.

“I’m glad to hear. Now let’s talk about you. We know what all you did at Eterna, the rangers gave us the styler data to analyze ourselves. You worked well out there. Not only that, but all of your schooling makes you appealing, Both written and practical tests, you’ve done well in.”

“As Jasmin said, that’s not some special talent, it’s just hard work.”

Ozzie grinned again, it seemed that the man never stopped smiling. “We know you agree with our morals, we know you will work hard and do well, but we also know about your love of nature. We talked with a few of your past supervisors, and they all said the same things. You love to get out in the field. Exploration and working with wild pokemon are a specialty of yours. Would you agree with what your supervisors think?”

“Absolutely. My dream is to go out and explore something new. A field ranger is the best job in my eyes,” Will agreed.

“Perfect. I heard Jasmin telling you about the three jobs we need to get done. The other two decided already, but we can fit you into whatever you decide. So you’ve got the urban work, which I don’t expect you’d like, to be frank. You could help us establish new towns or infrastructure, it will keep you right on the edge of the wild. A pretty good compromise between urban luxury and that rural appeal, and those types of rangers are highly respected. The third option, and the one I think you’ll take, requires staying outdoors. You’d be camping out in the unsettled areas of Corala, mapping things out, that sort of thing.”

Will thought about his options. He wanted to work in the unexplored world. It had been his dream his whole life, and that passion was even shared by his friend Mars. Will made his decision, though he had truly made it many years ago.

“I want to work out in the field. I want to see what this earth has to offer,” Will proclaimed

“That’s all I need to hear. If you wouldn’t mind signing this,” Ozzie asked while sliding a few sheets of paper Will’s way, “It’s your basic contract, nothing too different than the one you signed for the rangers. Oh and, if you could keep your voice down about that prototype styler. We’re not allowed to disclose any of that to people outside of the company.”

Will scanned through the document, taking note of anything unusual. In time, Will ended up signing his name on the paper, which Ozzie scooped up.  
“Thank you for joining the team. When can you start? We’ll send you on a boat as soon as possible and get you through some orientation. Oh and pay. It’s gonna be about a ten percent increase from what you’re making right now. You’ll get an email with all of the boring details this evening” Ozzie asked.

“Well you mentioned talking to my supervisor already. So if that’s the case, and current employment isn’t an issue, then I have nothing holding me back. My pokemon can come with me, correct?”

“Of course. Now the other two said something similar, about starting whenever. I think we’ll have you three meet up here in two days’ time. Ten o’clock again, if that works for you. Have everything you need packed, but we do have a few stores so no need to beat yourself up over forgetting something.”

Ozzie stood up, and stretched a hand out. Will stood up and took it, accepting this new offer. Ozzie led Will out of the room, and back to the other rangers. They were in a room where a few scientists were testing out capture discs. By the sounds of it, Jasmin had just finished another speech.

“Well Jasmin, these three rangers are officially joining Dux. One of each of the positions.”

Jasmin reciprocated Ozzie’s soft smile, “I’m thankful to hear that.” She turned to the three rangers. “I know you’ll have a great time on Corala.”

The three thanked her, and left with Ozzie as he beckoned them away from the room. They followed him to a table near the entrance of the floor, right beside the elevators. 

“If you all could wait here for a moment,” Ozzie asked, as he walked away.

The three sat there for a few moments, until Bruno broke the silence.

“So, how are you guys doing? How was the interview?” Bruno asked.

Kris shrugged, “Felt more like a recruitment, but it went fine. It all went by a little fast. I barely know what I agreed to, but anything’s better than being trapped here.”

“I agree, what was it, Kris? The one with the gyarados right? Not enough space in Sinnoh for a pokemon that big,” Bruno joked.

“Haha,” Will said sarcastically. “Good one Bruno. I agree with Kris, this whole process has been odd.”

“Well Ozzie did tell me that they needed our help, apparently wild pokemon have been giving Dux more trouble than expected,” Bruno remarked.

“I don’t know what you would expect, showing up on their territory and acting like it’s yours,” Will sympathised.

Ozzie returned with boxes and garment bags in his hands.

“Since you all are on board, we’re giving you those prototype stylers you heard about. So you can start getting used to them before you even show up. Also, those outfits Jasmin should’ve showed you, I’m giving you all two or three of those. You’ll be wearing them almost every day on the island,” Ozzie said while handing out different boxes and garment bags to the three.

They all took the items happily.

“With all due respect, isn’t this a little much?” Kris asked.

“Well, yes. We’re rushing the process, I will admit. We were desperate for help expanding our island, and your success at Eterna tipped us off to how good of a fit you three would be. I apologize, the process has been far from natural.” Ozzie admitteded somberly.

“I know we’ll be able to handle it. Thank you for your time sir,” Bruno told Ozzie.

Ozzie led them up the elevator, and back to the main entrance. When the three got back to the lobby, they all thanked Ozzie, and with a wave he returned into the building. The three rangers were left alone beside the door.

“Well, I’ll be seeing you two in a few days,” Bruno said.

“Yeah, I’ll see you there,” Kris said, walking out the door.  
Will just nodded, and went for his bike outside. He set off for his apartment with a lot of questions on his mind. The interview at Dux was weird. Kris had a point too, it was more recruitment than an interview. What Bruno said, about Ozzie being desperate for rangers, explained a lot too. Meaning there was a good chance the work wouldn’t be easy, at least the pay sounded pretty good. Most of all, there was a chance for Will. A chance to get out of Sinnoh, and do something with his life he was proud of. 

His ride home was by no means notable. He passed familiar sights and crowded routes. Will just wanted to get home and relax. He wanted to see Mars too, and the kirlia, as they have been in pokeballs for a few hours. Will remembered that the kirlia still didn’t have a name, and made himself a mental note to talk to her about deciding on one.

When he arrived at his apartment, he set his items from Dux down on a counter, and reached for his belt. He pressed the buttons of two pokeballs on his hip, and two pokemon came out. Mars made a happy sound similar to a bark at the sight of his trainer. The kirlia smiled at him, and waved. Having two pokemon happy to see him was a great feeling.

“Hey you two, sorry that took so long. I do have good news, we’re going to a new region, Corala. I’ll be working as a field ranger there. A lot of camping and living in some unexplored places. How does that sound?”

Both pokemon expressed glee at this turn of events, giving Will nods and excited expressions.

“And kirlia, I’m sorry we haven’t gotten much time to get to know each other yet. For the rest of the night, we can all try to do some things together?” Will offered.

The pokemon agreed.

“Great, let me make us some lunch and I’ll tell you about everything,” Will stated while he made his way into the kitchen. He pulled out some bowls and began working on something.

“Alright let’s see. I got a new styler. The way they do things at Dux, I find harsh though. They want to communicate any feeling with a capture disc, making me worried they might be going a bit too far.”  
The two pokemon climbed onto chairs at a dining table, and watched Will. While they couldn’t talk back, they listened attentively.

“With some luck, that will be stopped by our congress. Oh and I got a new outfit, just for the line of work I’ll be doing. When it comes to the work I’ll be doing, there’s a few different things. I’ll be travelling to unmapped areas. I might also need to take a lot of notes and relay that information back to Dux. Nothing too complicated, so it looks like it can be a lot of fun. Are you two on board?”

The two pokemon nodded with a smile. Will finished making the three’s meals and brought them to the table. They all went through their food fast.

“Well I need to check my email for more information about the job. Oh and change out of this fancy stuff, I can’t believe I forgot I had it on. In the meantime, want me to turn on a movie?”

Mars nodded and made his way to the couch and tv set. The kirlia looked at Will with a confused expression.

“That thing by the couch,” Will clarified while pointing to the tv.

The kirlia’s eyes widened and she nodded, as if remembering something. Will and the kirlia walked to the couch and sat down next to Mars. After grabbing the remote and browsing some channels, Will noticed the kirlia eyeing the remote. She was looking between the tv and the remote, figuring out the connection between the two. 

“Curious huh? Wanna give it a try?” Will offered.

She grabbed the remote and sifted through channels. She read every description of every movie or show she passed, making the process a tad bit long. After another minute or so of this, she looked back at Will with an embarrassed expression. 

“Can’t figure out what to watch?” Will asked, and the kirlia nodded. “Well I can’t blame you, it’s hard to decide. Let’s do something a bit more fun.”

Will ended up clicking on some comedy movie, and returned to his room afterwards. He changed out of his clothes, and put something casual on. He set his styler down on his nightstand. The display still showed the device at 100%. Will sighed, but let the styler be for now.

He returned to the living room to see two pokemon staring at the tv, captivated. Will smiled at the innocent sight. He sat down on the couch between the kirlia and Mars for a while. When the show ended, Will took the remote and turned off the tv. Mars glared at him for ruining his entertainment.

“Sorry buddy, but you’ve been in your ball all day, why don’t we shake things up a bit?”

Mars rolled his eyes and tumbled off of the couch without grace, making a scene.

“Arceus you’re so dramatic. We’re just gonna go on a short walk,” Will said.

Mars shrugged, and the kirlia didn’t object. They walked out the door and into the small Floaroma town. Will decided to walk to Eterna Forest and back to check on the situation. As they set off Will intended to make conversation between the three. He wanted to get to know the kirlia if she was going to be a part of the team. He also wanted her and Mars to get along well.

“So kirlia, I’m glad we finally got the chance to have a conversation,” Will said with a joyful tone.

The kirlia smiled back at him and nodded.

“Do you mind if I ask where you’re from? I realised the gardevoir line isn’t native to Eterna.”

The kirlia looked at him while walking, trying to find an expression to answer his question. Her growing frustration was becoming visible as she tried to find a way to communicate to her trainer.

“Sorry, I shouldn’t ask so open-ended questions. Did you have a trainer before? Did a human take you here?” Will asked.

The kirlia shook her head.

“No? Well did you come with your family, perhaps?”

She nodded her head in agreement.  
“But Eterna’s a bit of a crowded place. Did you maybe move because your old home grew too crowded as well?”

She nodded. As Will looked into her pink eyes, Will felt as if he could feel the loss she has.

“I’m sorry, I really am. Me and Mars are in a similar place. The walls are closing in, aren’t they? On the bright side, we’ve got a pretty big opportunity in two days’ time. How do you feel about that?”

She nodded her head once more. While Will could sense her anxiety of leaving home behind in such a hurry, he could also feel how she too knew it was necessary. 

“While you might not be able to talk, you know how to get emotions across. I read something about that before. A psychic link that communicates emotions. I’m happy you’ve decided to open that link up with me,” Will said happily.

The kirlia looked away with a slight blush. It must have happened back during that fire, when she let him capture her. She must have also acknowledged how fast it ended up happening. Speaking of the fire, the three were passing on the outskirts of Eterna Forest at that very moment. The forest had large patches of leafless trees and barren ground, it was a ghastly sight.

“Look at that fire, it did a number on the forest. Even if it got put out fast, that’s a lot of pokemon without a home.”

Mars shook his head with a sad look, the kirlia stared at the ruins with a forlorn expression.

“There were some good things that came from the event,” Will said as he shot a glance to the kirlia. “Now changing subjects, what were you dreaming about that caused you so much trouble?”

The kirlia frowned and thought of a way to communicate with Will. She ended up just pointing at Will, then reaching an arm out to the surrounding scenery.

“You dreamt about me? About Sinnoh?” Will said with a thoughtful expression.

The kirlia confirmed Will’s guess as they turned around to return to home.

“Wait, I wonder if that link of yours works through dreams. Did we share dreams? Did you have the same ones about the fire, or the ghost house?”

The pokemon thought about it, and shook her head. It was clear how hard it was to explain what she meant. Mars growled at him, and pointed a paw at Will’s head. Will took a few moments to figure out what they were trying to say. Finally, he formed his hypothesis.

“Did you dream about things, from my mind? Like my memories or experiences?” Will asked. He didn’t think it was possible, but that was the best way to interpret his pokemon’s game of charades. 

The kirlia nodded frantically, relieved to get the point across.

“Well what did you see?” Will asked, somehow even more curious than before.

Will watched as the kirlia made different gestures. For the first, she moved her arms as if playing a violin, after Will nodded, she continued. She pointed at herself, and made a generic pokemon cry, which Will guessed meant some type of name. For the last gesture, she pointed at Will, and put her hand out flat.

“So you saw a violin? You found a name too, and saw me as a kid?” Will said with a tilt of his head.

The pokemon nodded in agreement, happy to see her message communicated.

“Wow, that’s crazy,” Will remarked in awe. “You mentioned a name correct? What name did you hear?”

She pointed to herself and started marking different chirps. She slowed down, and focused hard on even getting the first syllable out, but just couldn’t. She stopped walking. Tears formed in her eyes as she tried to sound out the word. She just barely got to the letter “m” when Will stopped her. He crouched down and embraced her.

“Hey, stop that. Don’t force yourself to speak. It’s okay, you don’t need to say a word.”

After a few seconds in Will’s arms, and a bit of sniffing, Will let go.

“Hey, I have an idea. If you remember the syllables, I can go through a keyboard and type them out. I’ll vocalise all the letters, and you let me know when I hit the right one.” Will offered.

The kirlia thought about it, and with the sliver of a hopeful smile, she nodded. Will sat down on the side of the path with the kirlia and Mars. He got out his phone and opened a memo. He recapped by making an “m” sound, and when the kirlia nodded, he wrote it down. The process continued for a few minutes, and consisted of a massive amount of trial and error. As the word got longer, the glimmer in the kirlia’s eye grew larger. When it was over, the three stared in silence at the word “Miranda” on the screen.

The kirlia clasped her hands together. Tears were returning to her eyes. She nodded with a look of extreme glee. Will felt the faintest of familiarity when he read the name. 

“Miranda. What a beautiful name. You’re telling me you found yourself a human name from my own memories?”

Miranda looked up to Will with a smile. Will wiped a tear from her eye. He was impressed to say the least. Miranda cared for Will, there was no doubt about that. Finding a name for herself from his own memories was far from expected.

“Well let’s get going. We’re almost home and we’ve got a lot of preparing to do tomorrow.”


End file.
